Museum Talk No. 2

I arrived a wee bit late, without the portable chair we were told to find before we came to the meeting place. I could see a chair over in the next room, not quite in the direction we were going. So when we all set off (outside) I headed off at an angle, picked up a chair, and joined them again.

I think the tutor thinks I’m a troublemaker, or might possibly lead the other old codgers astray. When we stopped, she came to me and said, ‘Now, you had no need to go off and get a chair there, we’re going to pass some soon.’ Actually we didn’t. And we just stood with them every time anyway, they were not unfurled.

We went outside to look at both buildings. ‘What can you tell me about them?’
We shouted out a few ideas, windows different, stone different etc. Still not what she wanted. Then she said, ‘Did someone notice that they’re comparable heights? ’ No. Seemed too obvious. So I shouted out, ‘They’re comparable heights!’ The new part was not to dominate the old part. It’s built like a castle. With a (dry) moat, slitty windows for bows and arrows, big open spaces, mixed with wee dark spaces, with wee balconies overlooking it all. Very clever, though I think Prince Charles thought it was a carbuncle.

We walked round the new part, stopping at various wee interesting places, like silver spoons, teapots, jewelry. And when we tried to go up on the lift to the terrace, the lift took too long and she abandoned the class and everyone shot off. I went on up to the terrace.

I asked a museum person why they were planting trees on a ‘viewing terrace’. He didn’t know, but thought I should email someone who did. A very valid point, he said. So here’s the view now, but you won’t see anything once this tree grows.

Our pals from Jersey are here. Much talking and some imbibing, eating and a safari slideshow will take up our evening.